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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001591">Strangers in the Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotgonnafightyou/pseuds/imnotgonnafightyou'>imnotgonnafightyou</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Disaster Steve Harrington, M/M, Steve Harrington Being an Idiot, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, flirty fun fantastic, is this modern? Idk, subway!AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:21:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotgonnafightyou/pseuds/imnotgonnafightyou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve hates riding the subway, but beautiful strangers almost make it worth it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove &amp; Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strangers in the Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by a lovely little piece of art by @wrecked-fuse on tumblr.com</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been a long ass fucking Monday and the last thing Steve is looking forward to is the subway ride back to his apartment. He hates the crowds at this time of day and he’s considered taking a taxi so many times but can never commit to spending the money. It’s only twenty minutes, right? He’ll live. </p>
<p>For once, he thinks, luck must be on his side because there’s two open seats on the car he steps into. He’s quick to grab it, thankful for the stability of a chair instead of the constant swaying bad clinging to a pole that he normally has to put up with. He even gets to enjoy the brief space next to him, a breather from the seemingly hundreds of people he brushed up against just trying to get to his platform, before someone sits down next to him. He doesn’t think much of whoever it is at first. He’s trained himself to ignore people on public transportation. A matter of self preservation. But this guy next to him smells...incredible. Clean. Fresh cologne. Certainly better than how Steve smells after a full day at the office. So he hazards a glance out of the corner of his eye. And the guy looks fucking good. Beautiful blonde hair. Long. The way Steve used to wear it back in high school. It’s still damp from the shower the guy must’ve taken, and it makes his hair golden, glowing softly in the light. He’s practically angelic. His eyes are closed, but Steve can see he’s wide awake, bouncing along to the music he can faintly hear coming from the guys headphones. He can’t quite tell what it is...Def Leppard maybe? Some band like that. Not Steve’s usual taste, but he likes the look of this guy bouncing his leg and nodding his head to it. </p>
<p>Until that leg bounces a little too much on a particularly intense drum beat and ends up knocking right into Steve. </p>
<p>Shit, I’m sorry man, I got a little too-,” the blonde guy cuts himself off as he makes eye contact with Steve. “Got a little too overzealous there. My bad.”</p>
<p>Steve forgets himself for a moment, lost in the electric blue eyes. Forgets he’s meant to respond. “Oh, yeah, no worries, I get it. Def Leppard goes hard right? No harm done.”</p>
<p>Angel boy stares at Steve for a moment and then laughs.</p>
<p> “It’s the Crüe actually, but yeah Def Leppard goes hard too I guess.”</p>
<p>Steve could die right then and there. What was he thinking? He doesn’t know anything about that kind of music. What was he trying to do, impress the guy? By sounding like an idiot? He flushes, across his cheeks and all the way to his ears. “Oh, The Crew. Right. They’re, uh, they’re great too.”</p>
<p>“I’m surprised a clean cut guy like you listens to the Crüe man. Way to go against the stereotype. I totally would’ve pegged you as like, a Graceland fan.”</p>
<p>Steve is a Graceland fan. Who doesn’t love Paul Simon? But angel boy says it like it’s a jibe, so he certainly can’t admit it. “What can I say? I’m versatile.” </p>
<p>The blonde laughs a bit at that. “I guess so. Very unassuming. What’s your favorite song of theirs? The Crüe I mean.” He seems genuine. An open smile on his face, eyes looking curiously up at Steve’s. </p>
<p>“Oh, that would have to be, obviously the uh, one with...um...” Steve stumbles over himself, scrambling to think of any song by a band called The Crew, but he’s never heard of them. As he frantically scans his mind for anything, the train pulls into its next station,  bell ringing, doors opening. </p>
<p>“Ah, saved by the bell,” the blonde man says, standing up and turning to Steve. “This is me. But thanks for the chat pretty boy. See you around.” And he ambled off onto the platform, not turning back for Steve’s mumbled, “see ya.”</p>
<p>Not that Steve minds because the view from behind is...well...fucking nice. </p>
<p>He spends the rest of the ride feeling like an idiot and he calls Dustin practically the second he’s through the door. He picks up on the second ring. </p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>“Dustin, it’s me.”</p>
<p>“Steve-O! What’s up man, how are you?”</p>
<p>Steve steamrolls over the greeting. “I’m fine; listen, I need you to tell me everything you know about a band called The Crew.”</p>
<p>“The Crew, The Crew, The Crew...never heard of them.” Steve briefly thinks Dustin is lucky that he’s so far away, otherwise Steve might try and strangle him. He takes a deep breath. </p>
<p>“Okay well I need more than that.”</p>
<p>“Steve, I don’t know what to tell you man. I don’t know them. What’s this about?”</p>
<p>Steve doesn’t even want to tell him. He’s too embarrassed. He taught Dustin how to make moves on girls way back in grade school. How can he admit he doesn’t even know how to talk to some stranger on the train? A beautiful stranger, but still. </p>
<p>“Steve? You there? Because I’ve got people waiting on D&amp;D...”</p>
<p>“Okay fine man I’ll tell you.” And he does. He tells Dustin all the embarrassing details. Dustin listens patiently through the whole thing, not judging or anything. Just listening. When Steve finishes, he finally pipes up. </p>
<p>“Okay, so you’re looking for a band called The Crew that could be mistaken for Def Leppard.”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Alright, one sec. MIKE!” Dustin shouts into the other room. “Mike, you heard of a band called The Crew? Sounds like Def Leppard?”</p>
<p>There’s a muffled reply, and Steve strains to hear it through the phone. “You mean Motley Crüe? Not that they sound ANYTHING like the Leppard, the vibe is totally different, but to the untrained ears? Maybe that could be it.”</p>
<p>Steve wants to deck this kid. </p>
<p>“Did you hear all that?” Dustin asks. </p>
<p>Steve sighs, exasperated. “Yeah I heard it. Especially loved the insult so you can thank your sick friend for that.”</p>
<p>Dustin just laughs. “Hey he knew it and you didn’t, so I think he’s allowed.”</p>
<p>“Whatever man.” Steve thinks for a moment. “So Motley Crüe. That makes way more sense. Love them.”</p>
<p>“You still haven’t heard of them have you?” Dustin asks, stifling a laugh. </p>
<p>“Shut up Henderson. I totally have.”</p>
<p>Dustin laughs outright. “Look who cares Steve, you’ll probably never see the guy again anyways. No need to question your music taste now.”</p>
<p>Steve tries to laugh it off as he hangs up on Dustin. The kid’s probably right. Sure, he made an absolute ass of himself with that guy, and if he never saw him again it would be too soon. But this is New York. You never see the same stranger twice. Right?</p>
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